Tall and massive, clustering or rarely solitary palm; stem to 25 m long or more, with leaves up to 20 m long; leaflets to 150-180 on each side of rachis; inflorescences pendant, 3-4 m long; fruits variable in shape, ranging from ellipsoid-ovoid to squarely cylindrical, 7.5-10 cm long and 4-5.5 cm in diameter, covered by bright orangey-brown to reddish-brown scales.

Ecology :

Grows in lowland riparian and swamp forest palm, also found in semi-cultivation conditions throughout its range of distribution. In East Africa reported to grow in gallery forest and fresh-water swamp-forest, from lowland to 2500 m .